Lawrence’s practice of the presence of God involved five simple skills (simple to explain, though not necessarily that easy to master). Let’s look at them one by one.

Seek God’s Presence” Guard Your Heart with Extreme Care to Retain Purity
Brother Lawrence developed the phrase “keep the soul’s gaze fixed on God” to describe the practice of seeing God in every aspect of life. By this he meant that we are to cultivate a capacity to see God’s presence shining through even the most mundane or profane activity, whether it be making sandals or cooking (Lawrence’s two main activities) or any other ordinary task.

Live God’s Presence: Do All for the Love of God
He believed that all of our everyday activities hold the potential to become what he called “little acts of communion with God.” It is an all-encompassing, expansive vision of the world. Lawrence saw every single activity as a chance to glorify God. In fact, in his understanding, God’s presence charges all our activities with glory – so much so that our sanctification isn’t based on the actual activities that we perform, but rather on our preparedness to do them for God rather than for ourselves.

Speak in the Presence of God: Offer Short Prayers to God
Lawrence’s genius was his ability to set religious practices free from the realm of the “professional Christian.” One didn’t need to be a monk or a hermit to commune with God. Nor did one need to memorize lengthy prayers and petitions. Lawrence insisted that any believer can practice the presence of God by offering regular short prayers of the simplest nature.

Treasure God’s Presence: Value the Presence of God More Than Anything
I want to add some other, outwardly expressed disciplines to ensure that we practice the presence of Christ in plain sight of not-yet-Christians. . . .
• The practice of hospitality: sharing our homes and our tables with others.
• The practice of generosity: giving our resources to those in need, especially the poor and marginalized
• The practice of justice: offering our energies in the creation of equitable political environments
• The practice of environmental stewardship: being committed to caring for the fragile ecosystem in which we live
• The practice of mission: being prepared to be sent into all the world so that people might know that Christ is Lord of all